Take Mingus’s music, add a wee bit of European accent, sprinkle on a great performance, pour in incredible recording quality and joyful wit, and voila, you get Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic XIII – Celebrating Mingus 100.
Led by Magnus Lindgren (sax/bass clarinet) and Georg Breinshmid (double bass), the album features a talented bunch of musicians that consists of Tony Lakatos tenor saxophone, Jakob Manz alto saxophone, Matthias Schriefl trumpet, Shannon Barnett trombone, Gregory Hutchinson drums, Danny Grissett piano and Camille Bertault with vocals.
Mingus has penned many melodious and rhythmic numbers, here they are recreated on stage with equal amounts of great talent and merriment which are evident throughout the performance. The guys and gal fuse influences that include blues, bebop, swing and even a touch of New Orleans jazz to recreate Mingus’s tuneful creations with great deal of verve, while seasoning the merry sounds with a touch of distinctive European je ne sais quoi.
Made up of six tracks the album is almost exactly 47 minutes long and was recorded live which makes the sonic quality of this musical tour de force all the more remarkable. The recording is a treat, it will give those who think that CD’s 44.1/16 is limited and compressed pause for a reconsideration. A joy from start to end and a perfect panacea to the stream of bad news that many of us are exposed to, get it!
Stand out track: Jelly Roll.
Reuben Klein